Friday, June 22, 2018

Mick "Cowardly Lion" Cornett Many thanks to David Van Risseghem for photographing Cornett in the wild

Late last week, I sent out a survey to the top six Republican candidates for Governor. Each of them were asked ten questions, nine of which were identical and one which was uniquely tailored to each of them. I will be posting them in the order of the candidates' responses.

I tried to make the questionnaire interesting, wide-ranging, and tough for all, but I believe the questions are still fair to each. I am personally uncommitted still, and have attempted to use this survey for people like me who are still trying to decide how to vote on June 26th.

While five of the top six GOP candidates answered my survey, Mick Cornett decided to not do so.

2018 MuskogeePolitico.com GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnaire

Jamison Faught:How has your experience prepared you to serve as Governor?Mick Cornett: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]

JF:What needs to be done to fix Oklahoma’s budget process?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]JF:Tax revenue has increased dramatically over the past few months to nearly-record setting levels. There may be a surplus of over one billion dollars available for budgeting next year. What would you propose be done with any budget surplus during the next legislative session?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]JF: Education has been a hot topic over the past few years. What is your plan to address the issues facing common and higher education in Oklahoma?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]

JF:Under Civil Asset Forfeiture, law enforcement can seize and keep property suspected of involvement in criminal activity, even if the property owner is not found guilty of or even charged with a crime. This has resulted in high-profile cases of innocent citizens having property or funds essentially stolen from them with no justification. What is your position on Civil Asset Forfeiture?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]

JF:How do you plan to hold state government accountable for spending, in light of the scandals we’ve seen over the past year?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]JF:The current Tribal-State Gaming Compact expires on January 1st, 2020. The next Governor will negotiate for the State of Oklahoma for the next 15-year tribal gaming agreement. What would you hope to achieve in your role?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]

JF:Republicans are often characterized as being for “big business”, “crony capitalism” or “corporate welfare”, sometimes deservedly and shamefully so. Oklahoma has a history of handing out sweetheart deals to large corporations in order to entice them to move to Oklahoma. Meanwhile, small businesses, the backbone of our economy who operate without high-paid lobbyists, often get overlooked. How do you intend to promote and incentivize entrepreneurship and small business growth in Oklahoma?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]

JF:You call yourself a conservative, yet as Mayor, you pushed for large tax increases and signed a letter to Congress that opposed repealing the Affordable Care Act (aka “ObamaCare”). How are those positions conservative, and how do you defend them to conservatives, who view ObamaCare as the most damaging measure to come out of Washington in decades and who believe in lower taxes?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]

JF:As the primary approaches, what one thing do you want voters to remember about you as they go into the voting booth?MC: [Cornett apparently did not want to be put on record]

*****

I'd like to thank Mick for his time and for filling out this survey note my disappointment the fulfillment of my expectation regarding Cornett in not filling out this survey. Unlike most of the other candidates, Cornett has avoided as much as possible being nailed down into stating his positions on the issues facing Oklahoma, preferring to inflate his record as mayor and cover up his liberal tendencies.

I very strongly encourage voters to look elsewhere when deciding on who to vote for.